Used car woes

[punisher46]

Just after a bit of advice really.....

Bought a ford focus collection x reg from a well know reputable ford dealer back in november 04. To cut a long story short the work he said would be done when I went to collect the car wasn't, but it was a 80 mile round trip and I didnt notice he hadnt done the work unti lthe drive home. No worries I thought, they have another dealership locally. They did sort out the problems for me but since then it has gone down hill.

In the last 3 months it has need over £1,100 of repair work doing to it. On one occasion it went in for a service, and after I noticed that the water tank was leaking. They denied that it could have been done during the service, since which I have paid to get it repaired as I dont want a faulty car.....

Question is, how do I stand on thingsl ike this? Surely a thorough check should be done when the dealer buys it in (I know, please humour me).....and over £1000 worth of repair work in one year is unreal.....

 

[punisher46]

Thanks...

I took out an mbg ford warranty which Im finding most things are not cover. The steering colum was at £396, but the other £600 odd quid wasn't...

Trouble is, only topped up the water once or twice in 9 months, after the service/steering column replacement it needed filling up every 5 days, and there was no mention of this or an oil leak when it went in for itsservice, which leads me to believe they were done accidently during the service/steering column replacement......but when someone is reeling off saying that the work they did wouldn't affect that, its hard to call them a liar...

They did offer me a winter care kit.......

 

[punisher46]

I havnt had chance to get to the garage until today and I didnt notice the problem until mid decemember, and presumed by keeping it topped up with antifreeze and water it would be ok until I took it in for the brake pads to be replaced....

theyve topped it up with:
F1336799 Anti-Freeze 3 x 3.23 = 9.69

 

[punisher46]

Blueboy, I think you may have misread somewhere. There was no leak with the collant until after the service/steering column...

I appreciate that it is a 5 year car, and as with anything you cant predict whats around the corner. But for them to blatantly say its not there fault when the problem with the collant only happened after they'd serviced it, to me is a little out of order. I'm not expecting them to pay for all the repairs. I just feel that they they should pick up the cost for at least the collant thermostat....

I know a lot of people will say it's my own fault and I should have checked the cra more thoroughly, but not really knowing a lot about cars thats why I went to a main dealer.

 

[punisher46]

Sorry, my mistake.....It had gone down very slightly on a couple of occasions so I had topped it up. But a few weeks after the service/steering column replacement it was empty when I came to check.....

I was told the work I had done is not covered by my warranty (going to give them a ring in the morning to check):

they have fitted:
housing - thermostat £130
warranty book states colling system (parts and labour) thermostat as covered
could these be different?

Gasket - Valve rocke
Warranty book mentions various gaskets

Knuckle - Front whee
Not sure what that is exactly but warrantly book has no reference to a knuckle....

 

[punisher46]

I know that now, and yeah, I do feel a prat......

I had an old 93 fiesta before and I was shown how to top the water up, and this needed doing quite often. So when a little was gone fro mthe focus, I jus tost presumed it needed topping up. Seems I was shown to put the wrong stuff in.....

I know, and I should have took it in straight away.....

Looks like £60 for the part and £70 for the labour. But for all the messing around taking it somewhere else and sorting out transport, it didnt seem worth it, at the time....obviously does now...Id ask you to recomened me a garage but plymouths a long way, but I suspose it woudl still be cheaper than these cowboys...